Inkjet recording apparatus, ink guide member and purge unit

Abstract

In an inkjet recording apparatus, a suction channel is defined between a concave groove-like channel of an ink guide member and a cap member. An ink discharge port is open to the suction channel while the suction channel communicates with the atmosphere through a plurality of communication holes. The distance between a bottom surface of the cap member and a surface of the concave groove-like channel facing the bottom surface is reduced in accordance with the distance from the ink discharge port. The ink discharge port is entirely covered with one longitudinal end portion of the ink guide member. The horizontal sectional area of each communication hole increases in accordance with the distance from the ink discharge port.

1. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:
 a print head having a plurality of inkjet ports;  
 a suction cap which seals up the inkjet ports to carry out ink suction, the suction cap having an ink discharge port for discharging ink received through the ink suction; and  
 an ink guide member which is engageable into the suction cap, the ink guide member having reinforcing rib on an upper surface thereof and a channel of predetermined length on a lower surface thereof;  
 wherein the channel constitutes a suction channel between the channel and the suction cap when the ink guide member is engaged into the suction cap, the suction channel communicating with the ink discharge port.  
 
   
   
     2. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the ink guide member has at least one communication hole for allowing the suction channel to communicate with atmosphere. 
   
   
     3. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the communication hole comprises a plurality of communication holes formed at predetermined intervals along a length direction of the channel, and a sectional area of each of the communication holes is set to increase in accordance with a distance from the ink discharge port. 
   
   
     4. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the ink guide member has a reinforcing rib provided in a width-direction central portion of a top surface thereof so as to extend lengthwise, and the communication hole comprises a plurality of communication holes formed at predetermined intervals along a length direction of the channel on opposite sides of the reinforcing rib. 
   
   
     5. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the communication hole comprises a plurality of communication holes formed at predetermined intervals along a length direction of the channel, and a pitch between adjacent ones of the communication holes is set to decrease in accordance with a distance from the ink discharge port. 
   
   
     6. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the ink guide member has a reinforcing rib provided in a width-direction central portion of a top surface thereof so as to extend lengthwise, and the communication hole comprises a plurality of communication holes formed at predetermined intervals along a length direction of the channel on opposite sides of the reinforcing rib. 
   
   
     7. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the ink guide member has a reinforcing rib provided in a width-direction central portion of a top surface thereof so as to extend lengthwise, and the communication hole comprises a plurality of communication holes formed at predetermined intervals along a length direction of the channel on opposite sides of the reinforcing rib. 
   
   
     8. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a suction pump for generating negative pressure to suck ink from the suction cap; and  
 a tube connecting the suction pump and the discharge port of the suction cap,  
 wherein the suction pump sucks ink from the suction cap through the tube.  
 
   
   
     9. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:
 a print head having a plurality of inkjet ports;  
 a suction cap which seals up the inkjet ports to carry out ink suction, the suction cap having an ink discharge port for discharging ink received through the ink suction; and  
 an ink guide member which is engageable into the suction cap, the ink guide member having a channel of predetermined length,  
 wherein the channel constitutes a suction channel between the channel and the suction cap when the ink guide member is engaged into the suction cap, the suction channel communicating with the ink discharge port, and  
 wherein the suction cap has a bottom surface, the ink guide member is engageable into the suction cap so as to be opposed to the bottom surface of the suction cap, and a distance between the bottom surface of the suction cap and the ink guide member is set to be larger in an area near the ink discharge port than in an area distant from the ink discharge port when the ink guide member is engaged into the suction cap.  
 
   
   
     10. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the ink guide member has a face portion that faces substantially entire area of the ink discharge port when the ink guide member is engaged into the suction cap. 
   
   
     11. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein the ink guide member has at least one communication hole for allowing a space defined between the bottom surface of the suction cap and the ink guide member to communicate with atmosphere when the ink guide member is engaged into the suction cap, and the communication hole is formed in a position at a predetermined distance from the face portion of the ink guide member. 
   
   
     12. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the ink discharge port is formed in the bottom surface of the suction cap. 
   
   
     13. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the ink guide member has at least one communication hole for allowing a space defined between the bottom surface of the suction cap and the ink guide member to communicate with atmosphere when the ink guide member is engaged into the suction cap. 
   
   
     14. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the communication hole comprises a plurality of communication holes, and a sectional area of each of the communication holes is set to increase in accordance with a distance from the ink discharge port. 
   
   
     15. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the communication hole comprises a plurality of communication holes, and a sectional area of one of the communication holes the most distant from the ink discharge port is set to be the largest. 
   
   
     16. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the communication hole comprises a plurality of communication holes, and a pitch between adjacent ones of the communication holes is set to decrease in accordance with: a distance from the ink discharge port. 
   
   
     17. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein a rib is provided in a width-direction central portion of a top surface of the ink guide member so as to extend in a predetermined direction, and the communication hole comprises a plurality of communication holes formed on opposite sides of the rib. 
   
   
     18. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the communication holes are formed in an area where the top surface and the rib intersect each other. 
   
   
     19. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein an end portion of the ink guide member near the ink discharge port is formed into a shape in which vertical outer walls of the end portion extend along an edge of the ink discharge port. 
   
   
     20. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the ink guide member is made of a material whose wettability is higher than that of the cap member. 
   
   
     21. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the ink guide member has foot portions for defining the distance between the bottom surface of the suction cap and the ink guide member. 
   
   
     22. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 21 , wherein the foot portions are molded integrally with the ink guide member. 
   
   
     23. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the suction cap has a support portion for defining the distance between the bottom surface of the suction cap and the ink guide member. 
   
   
     24. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the support portion is molded integrally with the suction cap. 
   
   
     25. The inkjet recording apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the distance between the bottom surface of the suction cap and the ink guide member is set to decrease in accordance with a distance from the ink discharge port. 
   
   
     26. A purge unit comprising;
 a suction cap for sealing up inkjet ports of a print head, the suction cap having an ink discharge port for discharging ink received from the print head; and  
 an ink guide member which is engageable into the suction cap, the ink guide member having a reinforcing rib on an upper surface thereof and a channel of predetermined length on a lower surface thereof; and  
 a suction pump for sucking ink from the suction cap through a tube connected to the ink discharge port,  
 wherein the channel constitutes a suction channel between the channel and the suction cap when the ink guide member is engaged into the suction cap, the suction channel communicating with the ink discharge port.  
 
   
   
     27. An ink guide member which is engageable into a suction cap that has an ink discharge port and seals up inkjet ports of a print head in an inkjet recording apparatus, the ink guide member comprising;
 a reinforcing rib on an upper surface thereof; and  
 a channel portion of predetermined length on a lower surface thereof,  
 wherein the channel portion constitutes a suction channel between the ink guide member and the suction cap when the ink guide member is engaged into the suction cap, the suction channel communicating with the ink discharge port.  
 
   
   
     28. An inkjet recording apparatus comprising:
 a recording head for jetting ink from ink nozzles to conduct recording on a recording medium;  
 a cap having a sealing portion for sealing up the ink nozzles and an ink discharge port for sucking and discharging ink received from the recording head by means of negative pressure, the sealing portion having a bottom surface; and  
 an ink guide member which is placable in the sealing portion oppositely to the bottom surface of the sealing portion,  
 wherein a distance between the bottom surface of the sealing portion and the ink guide member is set to be larger in an area near the ink discharge port than in an area distant from the ink discharge port when the ink guide member is placed in the cap.